David Cameron narrowly avoided being told by Parliament to order an
independent investigation into his Culture secretary ahead of his
much-anticipated appearance at the Leveson inquiry on Thursday.

Jeremy Hunt narrowly survived a vote on whether he should be investigated over his handling of News Corporation's bid to buy satellite broadcaster BSkyB, despite several Tory MPs and every Liberal Democrat MP failing to back him.

The Conservatives easily saw off the challenge by a majority of 290 to 252, despite Nick Clegg's decision that Liberal Democrat MPs would abstain.

Eighteen Tory MPs failed to back Mr Hunt. Many were overseas, however at least two Tory MPs – John Baron and Sarah Wollaston – were able to vote and chose not to.

One Tory MP was recalled from his honeymoon in Mauritius to vote, while another MP got up from his sick bed in St Thomas’s Hospital to walk across Westminster Bridge to pledge his support for Mr Hunt.

There was anger that some Conservative MPs had failed to back Mr Hunt. One Tory MP said: “Unless you had a really good excuse it was a disgrace not to be there.”

Earlier Labour had accused Mr Cameron of organising a “stitch-up” over the affair, when Mr Hunt was formally cleared by David Cameron’s adviser on ministerial interests hours before the debate.

Mr Cameron was last night preparing for his appearance at the Leveson inquiry into press ethics today when he is likely to be asked about his close links with senior Murdoch executives before the phone hacking scandal broke.

Mr Cameron, who has received advice from the Treasury solicitor and an unnamed QC, will also be pressed whether he acted improperly over News Corporation’s bid for control of BSkyB.

He is under pressure to explain his close links with the Murdoch family and senior executives at News International.

It has emerged that Mr Cameron had dinner at the home of Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, and signed off text messages to her with the letters “LOL”, which he took to mean “Lots Of Love”.